


A Wintery Surprise

by confessorlove



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Femslash, Pre-OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 23:57:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3097355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/confessorlove/pseuds/confessorlove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kahlan wakes to find the first snowfall of the year blanketing Aydindril, there is only one thing she can think about; how much the snow makes Cara smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Wintery Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FalconHorus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalconHorus/gifts).



> Written for the Legendland holiday exchange.

When she awoke that morning, Kahlan had not anticipated the fresh blanket of snow that covered Aydindril.  She knew the weather would undoubtedly delay Richard’s return from the People’s Palace, but the snow was reason enough not to be upset. Even now she could remember the way Cara’s face had lit up when she thought it was snowing. That had been nearly magical. The Mord’Sith had seemed more child than anything else.  With real snow, Kahlan could only imagine her reaction.  She was merely grateful that Richard had left Cara to look after her while he attended to business in D’Hara.  In the beginning she fought, believing she could take care of herself, but now she realized that Cara’s companionship was more than welcome.

Moving silently, Kahlan padded through the halls to find Cara.  It was a winter wonderland outside.  She had not anticipated anything like that and there was only one person she could think to share it with.  The Council would undoubtedly need her, but in that moment Kahlan cared little. Since her return to Aydindril they had been running her ragged.  It seemed only fitting that she have the chance to take a short break. After all, everyone needed one.

Avoiding the servants, Kahlan made her way to Cara’s room and knocked on the door.  She didn’t know if Cara was awake, but she needed to be.  The frosted world beyond the windows was too tempting. Kahlan could remember how Dennee got when the first snowfall came.  That same excitement had been written all over Cara’s face the day the Forest of the Night Wisps burned.  In the moment she had refused to appreciate it.  There were other things demanding her attention, but now Kahlan just wanted to see her friend smile like that once more.  It wasn’t too much to ask for.

Knocking again, Kahlan sighed. “Cara, I know you’re in there.” 

A moment later she heard movement inside the room before the door was wrenched open.  Cara stood there with a look of annoyance on her lips, but Kahlan knew her friend well enough to tell the faux annoyance from the truth, and Cara would never be annoyed with her.  At least, not anymore she wouldn’t. 

“What’s wrong?”  Cara leaned against the doorframe as she looked at Kahlan curiously.

Slowly, a grin split on Kahlan’s lips. “Have you looked outside this morning?” When Cara shook her head, Kahlan laughed and grabbed the blonde’s hand.  “Come with me.”

The confusion was evident on Cara’s face even before Kahlan started tugging her down the hallway.  “Where are you taking me, Kahlan?” 

The question only earned a laugh from the Mother Confessor.  “Just be patient, Cara. We’re almost there and then you’ll see.” A shiver ran through her then as they walked through the drafty halls.  Undoubtedly the servants would be working twice as hard to keep the palace warm now that the snow came early.

It was important for Kahlan to make Cara feel welcome in Aydindril.  Ever since Richard left, she knew Cara felt out of place.  Kahlan knew that the servants raised a brow at having a Mord’Sith in their midst despite the reassurances that she had offered.  There were some prejudices that could not be changed easily. It was frustrating, but merely gave Kahlan even more of a reason to push forward and help Cara feel welcome. This was her surprise for her friend. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be friends with the woman who killed her sister, Kahlan would have laughed.  Oh how much life had changed since then.  There was no avoiding it.

“Kahlan,” Cara started as they approached the doors to the gardens.  “What –“ but before Cara could finish her question, Kahlan opened the doors and she fell silent. The world was frosted with snow and everything was glistening in the sunlight.  It was beautiful and instantly the brunette glanced over at Cara to read her expression.  She was surprised and her obvious appreciation for it made Kahlan happy. “Snow,” Cara said as she stepped out the door to make the first footprint in the untouched blanket coating the ground.

Nodding, Kahlan followed her out. “I had a feeling you’d like it.” Cara’s expression spoke volumes about what she was thinking.  Despite being unable to read a Mord’Sith, Kahlan could still read Cara. They’d spent enough time together to know what was going through the other’s head.  Kahlan knew the expression on her friend’s face would be worth far more than anything Cara would actually say.  After all, the blonde had always been one of few words. That was especially true of things lacking sarcasm.  Stepping further out into the garden, Kahlan took Cara’s hand.  “C’mon.  It’s too beautiful not to explore.”

She walked further out into the gardens as the snow crunched underfoot.  It was cold and Kahlan wrapped her arms around herself, but it mattered little. It was beautiful, a new beginning, a wonderland.  She loved it. However, that appreciation for the beauty was rapidly cut short when she was hit in the back. 

Kahlan spun quickly, expecting an attack but what she saw stunned even her.  Cara stood there with a snowball in hand and a smirk on her lips. It was surprising to say the least and Kahlan laughed.  “What are you doing.”

Cara threw the next snowball and Kahlan dodged it. “If you had a surprise for me, I figured turnabout is fair play,” she replied. 

The more Kahlan thought about it, the more she realized this shouldn’t have surprised her.  Why wouldn’t Cara enjoy a snowball fight?  Laughing, she bolted towards the trees for cover and scooped up snow into her hands as she went.  It was cold and chilled her to the bone, but she was the Mother Confessor. Would they really dare tell her she couldn’t be in the snow?

“Come back here,” Cara cried out as another snowball whizzed past Kahlan and into the trees.  When it hit them it jostled the branches and sent snow falling down into Kahlan’s dark hair.

Laughing, Kahlan threw her snowball at Cara before ducking behind the trees again.  “You have to catch me first!”

With that demand, Cara took off towards her. Unsurprisingly, Cara took this game far more seriously than Kahlan did.  She dodged each one of Kahlan’s snowballs as easily as she would have dodged a dacra thrown in her direction.  It was one and the same to Cara, where Kahlan was just having fun. That was the difference between the two.

“Missed me,” Kahlan taunted when another snowball flew past her.  Little puffs of her breath were visible in the air as she ran between the trees and crouched behind the bushes.  For the first time in years, Kahlan felt like a child.  Her childhood was cut far too short, so these moments were something for her to treasure.

Cara shook her head.  “Nope.”  The next snowball knocked more snow from the tree branches onto Kahlan’s head, causing the blonde to chuckle.  “It’s a good look on you, Kahlan.”

She wiped the snow from her eyes then and lopped a snowball at Cara.  In her distracted state, the blonde didn’t see it until it was too late.  The ball of powder hit her square in the chest, which caused Kahlan to laugh.  The look of stunned surprise on Cara’s face was one of the most priceless things she’d ever seen. “Better luck next time,” she chuckled.

With that, the real game began. They were both pink faced, soaked, and frozen but it didn’t matter to either of them.  For the first time since the rift was sealed they didn’t have anywhere to be or anything to do.  It was normal and with so little normalcy possible, it was completely strange for them both.  It was hard to call a truce, but they did.  After all, at the end of the day it was just the two of them and they were still friends. 


End file.
